Tribunal asks ICC to probe Israel crimes

The Russell Tribunal on Palestine has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes committed by the Israeli regime in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The tribunal, which has conducted four years of investigation on Israeli crimes, said in a meeting in Brussels on Sunday that it would “support all initiatives from civil society and international organizations aimed at bringing Israel in front of the International Criminal Court.”

The Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) was formed in March 2009 to promote and sustain initiatives in support of the rights of the Palestinian people. The RToP is a part of the Russell Tribunal, also known as the International War Crimes Tribunal or Russell-Sartre Tribunal, that was a public body organized by British philosopher Bertrand Russell and hosted by French philosopher and playwright Jean-Paul Sartre.

The tribunal has gathered evidence since 2009 before making 26 recommendations in its fifth and final session in Brussels.

These include “further criminal investigations of corporations aiding and abetting Israeli violations” and the “establishment of an international committee of former political prisoners to campaign on prisoner issues”.

On November 29, 2012, Palestine was awarded observer status at the UN General Assembly. The status has granted Palestinians access to UN agencies and the ICC.

The tribunal also demanded the ICC recognize Palestinian jurisdiction. It also called for a special session of the UN Special Committee against Apartheid to examine Israel’s crimes.

The establishment of an international committee to campaign on prisoner issues was also recommended by the tribunal.

Members of the tribunal have criticized the United States, the UN, and the European Union for being complicit in Israel’s violations of international law.

The tribunal demands a boycott of all imports of goods produced in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially those produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.